The Pocket Bible or Christian the Printer

simple and graceful style recently imported from Italy. Upon a gilt sign, ornamented with the symbolical arms of the Unive

worthy successor of his father in that learned industry, and one of the most erudite men of the century. Profoundly versed in the Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages, Master Robert Estienne raised the art of printing to a high degree of perfection. Passionately devoted to his art, he lavished so much care upon the publications that issued from his establishment, that not only did he himself correct the proofs of the Latin, Greek and Hebrew works which he printed, but he furthermore stuck the revised proofs to his office door and kept them there for a certain time with the

I, a woman of letters, of daring spirit, a generous nature, and withal secretly inclined to the reform. The King himself, who loved the arts and letters more out of vanity and the desire to imitate the princes of Italy than out of true intellectual loftiness, extended his protection to Robert Estienne, whom he considered an illustrious man whose glory would reflect upon his prince as a Maecenas. His rare mental equipment, his talent, and, last not least, the considerable wealth that he had inherited from his father and increased by his own labor, had won for the celebrated printer numerous and bitter enemies: his fellow tradesmen were jealous of the inimitable perfection of his works: the members of the Sorbonne, of the parliame

he populace, ignorant and credulous, rushed upon the house of Robert Estienne, and but for the courage displayed by the defenders of the establishment, the place would have been looted. Due to such possibilities many employers felt under the necessity of building around themselves a sort of bodyguard composed of their own workmen. The famous goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, whom Francis I invited from Florence to settle in Paris, was in such constant dread of the jealousy of the French and It

ing at the shop; he remained behind upon his master's request, and was waiting for him. The artisan's face, which had borne the marks of worry since the conversation that he had with his son Hervé on the preceding night, now looked chee

l again be worthy of you-you will pardon me a fatal slip. I begin to

cidentally upon the sale of indulgences, which they condemned with renewed energy. So far from violently taking up the cudgels for the nefarious traffic

's eyes must have been opened; he must have realized that fanaticism was driving him down into an abyss.

cipated delay, in order that she be not alarmed at not seeing him home at the usual hour. When he was finally left alone at the shop, he continued the paging of a Latin book by the light of a lamp. In the mid

here so late, dear comrade.

that I wait for him after the shop

p for to-morrow to Montmartre, in order to visit the place that you know of-the more I think

given me upon the matter. But are you quite certain that the pla

lace once more with you. It is a long time since I was there. Maybe the place is

ldiers, the priests, the jailers and executioners, moss-grown tradition, the ferocious fanaticism of a populace whose mind is poisoned and who are misled by the monks. And we, what have we? This," added Christian pointing to a printing press that stood in the center of the shop, "that instrument, tha

spelled, and freedom will dart its rays upon all. Let us to work, Christian. The moment we shall have chosen our place, we will put our projects into execution. I shall be at your house to-morro

his friend left by a door of the shop

ntelligence; a few premature lines furrowed his wide forehead; study and concentration of mind had begun to thin out his hair. He wore a coat and puffed-out

ienne, "I have a service to

l that concerns you; I am as devoted to you as my father was to yours. If it pleases

edouble in number and vehemence against all those who are suspected of favoring the religious Reformation, especially since printed placards violently hostile to the Church of Rome were posted over night in the streets of Paris. John Morin, the Criminal Lieutenant and worthy instrument of Cardinal-Chancellor Duprat, who keeps himself informed by the miserable spy who goes under the name of Gainier, keeps Paris in

true; your enemies are

roscribed by them, has asked me for asylum. He is here since last evening, in hiding. I am in constant ap

your uneasiness. Your frien

rity saves you from the espionage that pursues me. Could you extend hospitality to my friend fo

all my

Robert Estienne, warmly pressing the artisan's

f, sir, is that the asylum

ity to city; more than once, the generous apostle has spent the night in th

it is so very low one can hardly stand in it; but it is sufficiently ventilated by a little window that opens upon the river. To-morrow morning, aft

es your full confidence; y

, during her absence, transport to the garret a mattress, some bed linen and whatever else may be necessary in order to render the

are now waiting for you to take supper in the ground floor room, the door of which opens on the bridge. They will all see you come in with the stranger. Then als

d these are numerous with the poor soldier of adventure-are wholly counterbalanced in

all we manage

ll then request my wife's brother to go out for a pot of wine in order that we close the day pleasantly. The wine is sold at a tavern near the wharf and at some little distance from my house. I shall profit by the Franc-Taupin's absence in order to apprize my wife in a few words of the s

d man may be discovered in your house by the police of Duprat's lieutenant; it is my duty to remind you that, in such an event, you run the risk of imprisonment, perhaps even o

do you think me ac

hat I would otherwise be anxious myself to brave. I first thought of hiding him in my cottage at St. Ouen; that country-seat is secluded and far enough from the village. But for several reasons that I am not yet free to communicate to you, my friend should remain hidden in th

John Saurin, would have himself and his family died of hunger and despair but for the generous assistance of your father. Wh

r noble assistance in this instance will be to us one more proof of your gratitude. But I have not yet told you all, worthy

our friendship; he is an apostle,

etrating accents, "allow me frankly to state my thoughts to you with respect to your son. We have recently talked more than once upon the worry that he caused you; I regret the circumstance doubly; I expected great things from Hervé. He has developed a variety of aptitudes in other directions besides the mechanical part of our art in which he begins to excel. The lad's precocious knowledge, his exceptional eloquence-all these qualities ranked him in my eye among that small number of men who are destined to shine in whatever career they embrace

better thoughts; that a sudden and happy change has come over him, because-" Christian could not finish his sentence. Madam Estienne, a handsome y

is not a minute to lose;" and turning asi

and in all t

fter he read the letter. "Our house will be searched, t

and he will go out by the side street. I think the ho

assurance doubly sure I shall go down to the end of the side alley and

find us in the small yard

, from end to end not a soul was in sight. Although it was night there was light enough to see a long distance ahead. Having convinced himself that the issue w

s employer, "the alley is deserted; we

man. "You may rely upon your guide as upon me. Follow him and observe all that

direction of the Exchange Bridge, the two men arrived at a gate which they had to pass in order to cross the Cour-Dieu. At that place their progress was delayed by a compact mass o

m a man of athletic carriage, with the sleeves of his shirt tur

ous satisfaction; "the reverend Franciscan fathers

asked. "What is their idea? I

hted chapel at the foot of a beautiful station of the Holy Virgin, and a mendicant monk

f the chapel and the mendi

self; "thanks to that chapel the Luthera

they be r

pping a piece of money into the purse of the mendicant monks, it is a proof that the painim are heret

one person at a time, the approaches of the square were blocked by a crowd that swelled from moment to moment and that was swayed with the ardent desire to witness the Tes

nthony consume those laggards who are getting so slowly through the gate! I sha

o the butcher, "those Lutherans must be very great crimin

ogether with Christian was so completely hemmed in by the crowd that th

ssing the unknown. "What! You ask whether the Luther

another in citing the felonies

the Bible

o not c

not sin

, nor the saints, nor in the virg

the drop of milk of his holy mother!-n

titute for the holy mass? Abom

yes-it

nd women to celebrate their Luthery. A rich bourgeois woman, who lived on the same street with the tailor attended the incantation with her two daughters. When all the canting hypocrites were assembled, their priest donned a robe of goatskin with a headgear o

! The monsters

and sprinkled the assembly with the warm gore! He then tore out the ch

ried the butcher, carrying his hand to his knife, while the proscribed man exch

be possible? Could suc

Carmelite who is my confessor, told me, Marotte, there never was an assembly of

d with the child's blood as a sort of baptism, their priest spoke up and said: 'Now, take off your clothes, and pray to God in our fashion. Long live hell and the Luthery!' As soon as he said this, he put out the two

r! Maledictio

protect us fro

nfamies portend the

l the Lutheries closed in the same fashion. The good father felt so indignant that he gave me accurate detai

be of gold brocade and with her face painted like a picture, surmounted the altar. Several Franciscan monks, among whom Christian recognized Fra Girard were stationed near the lighted chapel. Two of them, holding large velvet purses in their hands, were posted one on either side of the statue. A large crowd of tattered men and women, of cynical, repulsive or brutal countenances, all armed with clubs and grouped near the door of the convent, stood waiting for the moment when, at a signal from the monks, they were to rush upon the ill-starred passer-by who was designated as suspected of heresy. Each passer-by had inevitably to cross the square at only a slight distance from the statue of the Virgin. If they knelt down before it and dropped their alms into the pu

refer to be cut to pieces rather than submit t

ice. "I revolt as much as you at the indignity. But wh

s head in the direction of the altar. Hardly, however, had he passed by when the tattered mob who stood near the monks, ready at the latters' beck, rushed forward in pursuit of the unhappy fellow; they over

unded their victim, Christ

asts; unfortunately it were idle to seek to snatch that sensel

re and were hurriedly walking towards the opposite issue without stopping a

ape without kneeling before the holy Virgin! Stop th

posed upon him in a brutal manner, and which he otherwise would cheerfully have complied with. After the unhappy fellow had bravely defended himself with his cane, the only weapon that he carried, he was finally overwhelmed by numbers and fell li

int voice. "Jesus!-My God!-Have pity upon

Christian had exchanged a few words ran towards and joined the assassin mob. He piously knelt do

eran! It will be worth an indulgence to

he squatted upon its still palpitating chest, slashed his knife through the prostrate man's throat, cut the head from t

the mother of the Savior-he shall now plant

red and streaming with the warm blood of the victim; he knelt down himself, and slammed the head face down upon the ground at the fe

ion and he stepped out of the square. "To think that such horrors are perpetrated in the n

; they are what the monks have made them," answered the unknown with a bitter and desolate smi

eir steps towards the artisan's house,